Electric connection device



R. MAS

ELECTRI C CONNECTION DEVI CE May 9, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1, 1964 a \N 8 w May 9, 1967 R. MAS 3,3 ,21

ELECTRIC CONNECTION DEVICE Filed Dec. 1, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I w I I i i W I I FIG.3

United States Patent 3,319,213 ELECTRIC CONNECTION DEVICE Roland Mas, Aix-en-Provence, France, assignor to Commissariat a IEnergie Atomique, Paris, France Filed Dec. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 415,088 Claims priority, application France, Dec. 6, 1963, 956,308 9 Claims. (Cl. 33--91) Electric power is usually supplied to trolleys or like moving assemblies by means of a system of flexible cables and plugs in the form of a trailing lead which permits of a wide variety of movements. However, when the trolley has to be employed within a leak tight chamber, the presence of said trailing lead is inconvenient for the purpose of closing the door of said chamber and makes it difiicult to ensure strict leak-tightness.

The object of this invention is to provide an electric connection device which makes it possible to connect the trolley to the trailing lead as said trolley enters the chamber and to release said trolley automatically as this latter is withdrawn from the chamber, with the result that the trailing lead need no longer pass through the wall of said chamber.

The electric connection device with automatic plug-in systemgas contemplated by the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a connector which is integral with the moving assembly, a receiving connector, a stationary support for said receiving connector in the inoperative position thereof, a system for locking said receiving connector to one of the members which may be either said stationary support or the connector of said moving assembly and the unlocking of which is effected by placing said receiving connector in position over the other member so as to lock said receiving connector to said other member.

In accordance with a preferred form of embodiment, the receiving connector comprises a system of radially movable balls, a first locking member for securing said balls in an inwardly projecting position within a peripheral channel of the movable connector and for locking said receiving connector to said movable connector and a second locking member for securing said balls in an outwardly projecting position within an internal groove of the stationary support and for locking said receiving connector to said stationary support.

The positioning and engagement of the movable eonnector within the receiving connector which is integral with the trailing lead is thus carried out automatically at the point of entry within the chamber whereas, at the moment of withdrawal from the chamber, the receiving connector is replaced in its support and the movable connector is released. The receiving connector is always locked to either one or the other of the two members but is immediately released therefrom by bringing said receiving connector into position and locking it to the other member.

The coupling or uncoupling of the power-supply connector is thus carried out automatically without any external intervention by virtue of the movement of the trolley itself.

A number of other advantages and characteristic fieatures of the invention will in any case be brought out by the following description of one form of embodiment which is given by way of non-limitative example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows in longitudinal cross-section an electric connection device with automatic plug-in system as shown in the rest position.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the same device respectively during the connecting operation and on completion of this latter.

The aforesaid electric connection device is made up of three essential members, namely a plug connector 1 which is integral with the trolley or moving assembly, a receiving connector 2 which is joined to the trailing lead at 4 and a stationary support 3 in which the receiving connector is placed in the inoperative position (as shown) in FIG. 1).

The receiving connector 2 is provided around the electric supply pins 8 with a cylindrical guide bushing 10 which is pierced with radial recesses 12, there being housed in each of said recesses a ball 14, said balls being three in number, for example. The diameter of the balls 14 is greater than the thickness of the wall of the guide bushing 10 and said balls project either internally or externally of said guide bushing. A ring 16 mounted in an annular groove l8 which is concentric with the guide bushing 10 is adapted to slide along the internal surface of this latter and closes the radial recess 12 while outwarding displacing the balls under the action of a spring 20, said spring being placed within a radial bore 22 which opens into the annular groove 18.

Another locking ring 24 located external-1y of the guide bushing It) is mounted in the same manner as the ring 16 within an annular groove 26 which is cut in an external shoulder 27 of the connector 2. A bore 28 opens into the bottom of said annular groove 26 and serves to accommodate a spring 30 which thrusts back the ring 24 towards a position in which this latter closes the recess 12 and in which the ball 14 is locked in the inwardly projecting position.

The support 3 in which the connector 2. is placed in the inoperative position has substantially the shape of a hollow cylinder which is open at both ends and provided with a wide slot 31 at the bottom portion thereof. Said cylinder which is fixed to the wall of the chamber in which the moving assembly is intended to be displaced is provided with an internal annular channel 32 for the purpose of accommodating (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) the balls 14 which are thrust back by the locking ring 16.

The support 3 is also provided with a radial stud 34 which is adapted to cooperate with a longitudinal slot 36 of the guide bushing 10 for the purpose of. centering the two members relatively to each other and securing these latter against rotation.

The movable connector 1 is mounted on an arm 38 carried by the moving assembly which has not been illustrated for the sake of clarity of the drawings. Said connector 1 is provided around the male and female plugs 8a with a cylindrical sleeve 40, the external diameter of which is very slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the guide bushing 10 in such manner as to enable said sleeve to slide within said bushing without binding against this latter. A peripheral annular channel 42 is cut in the extremity of said sleeve so as to accommodate the locking balls 14 in the inwardly projecting position thereof. A radial centering stud 44 is provided at the other end of the sleeve 40.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the receiving connector 2 is not in use, said connector is locked to the support 3 by means of the ball 14 which is securely maintained within the annular channel 32 by the ring 16 under the pressure exerted by the spring 20. The support 3 is brought to bear against the edge of the shoulder 27 and maintains the ring 24 at the bottom of the groove 26 against the action of the spring 30.

At the moment when the moving assembly arrives opposite the entrance of the servicing chamber, the connector 1 is brought opposite the receiving connector 2. The cylindrical sleeve 40 is then inserted in the guide bushing 10 so as to slide with respect to this latter and is accompanied in its movement by the stud 44 which accordingly penetrates into the slot 36, thereby prevents13 ing any relative movement of rotation of the connectors 1 and 2 and permitting the insertion of the connector-pins 8 and 8a.

The extremity of the sleeve 40 is abuttingly applied against the ring 16 (as shown in FIG. 2) and exerts on said ring an axial pressure which neutralizes the action of the spring 20. Said ring 16 is thrust back inside the annular groove 18 and frees the balls 14 which pass into the annular channel 42, thus immobilizing the movable connector 1 within the receiving connector 2. When penetrating into the annular channel 42, the balls 14 have thus left the annular channel 32 of the support 3 and released this latter. The connector-pins 8 and 8a are fully engaged and the trolley is thus supplied with electric current through the connector 2.

As and when the moving assembly advances, the connector 1 carries with it the receiving connector 2 and moves this latter away from the support 3 while releasing the ring 24 which, under the action of the spring 30, passes out of the annular groove 26 and closes the recess 12. The balls 14 are maintained within the annular channel 42, the connector ll being thus locked within the connector 2 and accompanied by this latter in all its movements, that is to say, in all the movements of the moving trolley.

Upon withdrawal from the chamber, the disconnecting operation is also carried out automatically. The arm 38 which carries the connector 1 passes through the slot 31 of the support 3 until the ring 24 comes into contact with the extremity of this latter and is thrust back into the annular groove 26. The shoulder 27 immobilizes the connector 2 against the support 3 but the movable connector 1 continues to move away with the trolley. The edge of the annular chamber 42 then thrusts back the balls 14 into the recesses 12 and causes them to penetrate into the annular channel 32. The ring 16 which is urged by the spring 28 closes off said recess 12 and again locks the connector 2 to the support 3 Whilst the movable connector 1 which is released is carried away with the trolley.

The trolley referred to above can thus be utilized within a perfectly leak-tight chamber while being connected electrically to the trailing lead or to any other supply means when passing into said chamber and automatically disconnected when withdrawing from said chamber. The trolley is endowed with sufficient autonomy to enable it to perform operations of the most varied nature without entailing the need for any connection through the wall, such a connection being frequently detrimental to leaktightness.

In the case in which the moving trolley must penetrate successively into a number of chambers, or in the event that said trolley must be capable of moving from one chamber to another, it can be an advantage to provide said trolley with two movable connectors 1, one of said connectors being thus intended to interlock with the receiving connector 2 of that chamber into which said trolley penetrates while the other connector replaces in its support 3 the receiving connector of that chamber which the trolley has left. Since both operations can be carried out simultaneously and automatically, the loss of time when changing connectors is reduced to a minimum and the time of establishment of communication between the two chambers is not increased. The operation of the trolley remains continuous, since the supply of current through one connecting device immediately follows the supply of current through the other connecting device.

Moreover, this connection does not call for any external source of power or any manual operation inasmuch as it is initiated solely as a result of the displacement of the trolley. This is a very important feature when it proves necessary to make use of a moving assembly within a chamber to which access is either prohibited or dand gerous and especially when carrying out handling oper ations in media which have a high level of radioactive contamination.

It will be wholly apparent that a number of different modifications could be made in the form of embodiment which has just been described without thereby departing either from the scope or the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Electric connection device comprising a support, a chamber in said support, a first connector normally mounted in said chamber, locking means carried by said first connector, first actuating means carried by said first connector moving said locking means for locking said first connector in said chamber, a second connector movable in a first direction into mechanical and electrical engagement with said first connector, means on said second connector moving said first actuating means when said connectors are in engagement for unlocking said first connector and said support, said second actuating means carried by said first connector engaged by said support moving said locking means for locking said connectors together, said second connector passing through said chamber and moving said first connector from said support, said first and said second connectors being movable in a direction opposite to said first direction, said second connector passing through said slot and moving said first connector into said chamber, said support engaging and moving said second actuating means, said lock means then unlocking said connectors and locking said first connector and said support.

2. Device as described in claim 1, including an internal annular roove in said chamber, said locking means engaging in said groove for locking said first connector and said support together.

3. Device as described in claim 2, said locking means including a plurality of balls, a peripheral annular channel in said second connector for receiving said balls, said first actuating means urging said balls into locking engagement in said groove, and said second actuating means urgin said balls into locking engagement in said channel.

4. Device as described in claim 3, said first actuating device comprising a sleeve slidably mounted in said first connector and resilient means moving said sleeve into engagement with said balls for moving said balls radially outward of said first connector.

5. Device as described in claim 3, said second actuat 7. Device as described in claim 1, including a longitudinal slot in said first connector and a radial first stud extending into said chamber, said stud engaging in said slot and centering said first connector in said support.

8. Device as described in claim 7, including a second stud extending radially from said second connector and engaging in said slot centering and preventing relative rotation between said connectors.

9. Device as described in claim 1 including a trailing lead connecting said first connector to a source of electric energy and means rigidly connecting said second connector to a vehicle whereby when said connectors are in engagement electric current is supplied to the vehicle.

No references cited.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

W. DONALD MILLER, Examiner.

I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. ELECTRIC CONNECTION DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORT, A CHAMBER IN SAID SUPPORT, A FIRST CONNECTOR NORMALLY MOUNTED IN SAID CHAMBER, LOCKING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FIRST CONNECTOR, FIRST ACTUATING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FIRST CONNECTOR MOVING SAID LOCKING MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID FIRST CONNECTOR IN SAID CHAMBER, A SECOND CONNECTOR MOVABLE IN A FIRST DIRECTION INTO MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST CONNECTOR, MEANS ON SAID SECOND CONNECTOR MOVING SAID FIRST ACTUATING MEANS WHEN SAID CONNECTORS ARE IN ENGAGEMENT FOR UNLOCKING SAID FIRST CONNECTOR AND SAID SUPPORT, AND SECOND ACTUATING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FIRST CONNECTOR ENGAGED BY SAID SUPPORT MOVING SAID LOCKING MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID CONNECTORS TOGETHER, SAID SECOND CONNECTOR PASSING THROUGH SAID CHAMBER AND MOVING SAID FIRST CONNECTOR FROM SAID SUPPORT, SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND CONNECTORS BEING MOVABLE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID FIRST DIRECTION, SAID SECOND CONNECTOR PASSING THROUGH SAID SLOT AND MOVING SAID FIRST CONNECTOR INTO SAID CHAMBER, SAID SUPPORT ENGAGING AND MOVING SAID SECOND ACTUACTING MEANS, SAID LOCK MEANS THEN UNLOCKING SAID CONNECTORS AND LOCKING SAID FIRST CONNECTOR AND SAID SUPPORT. 